In line with President Rodrigo Duterte's State of the Nation Address last Monday, here is the continuation of the Top 20 achievements by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) from July 2020 to July 2021, with efforts to enhance the global competitiveness of Philippine Cinema.

13. FilmPhilippines expands to support Southeast Asian cooperation. After three cycles in 2020, the FilmPhilippines Incentives Program opened in 2021 with the announcement of three cycles and the Asean Co-production Fund (ACOF). Cycle 1 awarded at least P27.4 million to six films, including Carlo Francisco Manatad's "Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (Whether the Weather is Fine)," the only Filipino competing film in Locarno 2021, and ACOF recipients Makbul Mubarak's "Autobiography" and Mouly Surya's "This City is a Battlefield," both from Indonesia.

14. UniPhilippines - Promoting PH Cinema through the Philippine Pavilion and spearheading Filipino delegations at the biggest festivals and markets. Patterned after UniFrance and UniJapan, our UniPhilippines Program aims to promote Philippine Cinema globally and support the international distribution of Filipino films through cultural and industry partnerships.
 
Since 2016, the Philippines has maintained its presence in top film festivals Cannes, Berlinale, and Venice as well as Locarno, Busan, San Sebastian, Karlovy Vary, Shanghai, Annecy, and Udine, and in top film markets like Berlinale's European Film Market, Cannes' Marché du Film, Annecy's MIFA, Busan's Asian Contents and Film Market, and Shanghai's International Film and TV Online Market.

We supported films in competition like Antoinette Jadaone's "Fan Girl" in Tallinn, Rafael Manuel's "Filipiñana" in Berlinale, Cha Escala's "Remnants of a Revolution" in Sheffield Doc/Fest, Daniel Padilla starrer "Kun Maupay Man It Panahon" in Locarno, and Avid Liongoren's "Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story," the first Filipino competing film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. In Udine, the Far East Film Festival had an Eddie Garcia Retrospective section.

15. Filipino films to the world through international distribution. FDCP has been participating in film markets and providing market badges for production companies to meet with international stakeholders. At the European Film Market, FilmPhilippines-supported project "Nocebo" by Lorcan Finnegan was acquired by XYZ Films. The first Philippines-Ireland co-production is top-billed by Eva Green, Mark Strong, and Chai Fonacier.

Joseph Mangat's 'Divine Factory,' another FilmPhilippines grantee, is the first Filipino documentary acquisition by Hong Kong's Asian Shadows. Toronto's Raven Banner acquired Mikhail Red's 'Arisaka' under Ten17P, Beijing-based Rediance acquired 'Kun Maupay Man It Panahon,' while UK-based SC Films International picked up the international rights of award-winning Brillante Mendoza's 'Gensan Punch,' an FDCP CreatePHFilms grantee.

16. Forging international collaborations. FDCP partnered with the Asian Television Awards and Asian Film Commissions Network (AFCNet), where it renewed its term in the Board of Directors. FDCP attended many events, including the Córdoba, Argentina-Philippines Film and TV Production Industry Roundtable and Networking Event and India International Film Tourism Conclave's LocationsConnect Live Webinar.

At the 9th Philippines-France Joint Economic Commission Meeting, FDCP and France's National Centre for Cinematography committed to renew our Film Cooperation Agreement. Also discussed was the culmination of the France-Philippines Co-production Treaty, a milestone that will allow Filipino filmmakers to collaborate with France and consider co-productions as National Films of both countries.

17. Philippine Film Archive's (PFA) International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) membership. With continued operations amid the pandemic, PFA launched its website (philippinefilmarchive.fdcp.ph) with a media library and Film/AV catalogue last September. PFA continued to level up this year by becoming an Associate Member of FIAF, which has 171 member institutions from 79 countries.

18. Developing talents and projects through international film labs. To nurture emerging producers to meet global standards, FDCP partnered with important film labs like Cannes Docs 2020 Online with 'Divine Factory' director Mangat, Locarno Open Doors which awarded the Development Support Grant to Liongoren's animated project 'Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah vs. The Amazonistas of Planet X,' and Rotterdam Lab which selected Julienne Ilagan and April Batican.

We had five producers in the Berlinale Co-Production Market, eight producers in Cannes Producers Network, seven projects in Sheffield Doc/Fest, three projects at MIFA, and three producers in Locarno's Match Me! Program.

19. Full Circle Lab Philippines (FCL PH), the country's own international film lab. Organized by FDCP and French company Tatino Films since 2019, FCL PH - with international experts as mentors - has supported Filipino projects that have traveled to international labs, markets, and festivals, including 12 of the first edition's 16 projects.

Premiering in top festivals were Arden Rod Condez's 'John Denver Trending' (Busan), Rae Red's 'Babae at Baril' (New York Asian Film Festival), Cha Escala's 'Remnants of a Revolution' (Sheffield Doc/Fest), 'Fan Girl' (Tokyo), Kristoffer Brugada's 'An Elegy to Forgetting'(Shanghai), and 'Hayop Ka!' (Annecy).

Those in prestigious labs and markets were Phyllis Grande's 'Everybody Leaves' (Macau's IFFAM Project Market), Jordan dela Cruz's 'The Perilous Odyssey to Mount Gulsuk' (Doha Film Institute), Carlo Enciso Catu's 'Purple Sun' (EAVE Ties That Bind), 'Divine Factory' (Cannes Docs), Xeph Suarez's 'Dancing the Tides' (Cannes' La Fabrique), and E Del Mundo's 'Sam' (Locarno Open Doors).

In 2020, FCL PH Online supported 20 projects, including Sheron Dayoc's '6th Finger' (Berlinale Talent Project Market and Asian Project Market), Paolo Herras' 'Strange Natives' (Kre8tif! Malaysia), Joe Bacus' 'Devils in Paradise' (FLY Film Lab), and Dodo Dayao's 'Dear Wormwood' (IFFAM Project Market).

Among the FCL PH 2020 selection are seven Southeast Asian titles, including 'Hours of Ours' by Thai Komtouch Napattaloong (Purin Pictures Post-production Grant), Vietnamese Le Hang Nguyen's 'Till the Cave Fills' (Busan Asian Film School), Malaysian Aw See Wee's 'Causeway' (HAF Film Lab), and Vietnamese Duong Dieu Linh's 'Don't Cry Butterflies' (Locarno Open Doors).

Singaporean Nelicia Low's 'Pierce' (Talents Tokyo - Special Mention Award and Udine's Focus Asia) received support from numerous institutions such as Hubert Bals Fund, Polish Film Institute, Taipei Film Commission, and Singapore Film Commission.

20. Film Ambassadors' Night (FAN) - a tribute to internationally acclaimed filmmakers. FDCP held the 5th FAN in February to recognize those who gained accolades from established international award-giving bodies and film festivals in the past year. FAN 2021, held online at the FDCP Channel, lauded 62 honorees and special awardees led by Venice Film Festival Orizzonti Best Director Lav Diaz for 'Lahi, Hayop' and Berlinale Shorts Silver Bear Jury Prize winner Manuel for 'Filipiñana.' Since 2017, FDCP has recognized over 260 film ambassadors through the annual FAN.

It is humbling and overwhelming to note that the seeds FDCP planted locally and internationally, along with the initiatives of other dedicated stakeholders, have led to various improvements in Philippine Cinema. As FDCP continues to champion Filipino artistry, I look forward to more strides and breakthroughs for our film industry.

Notes from the Chair
The Sunday Times Magazine  - The Manila Times

Notes from the Chair is part of the Arts Awake section of The Sunday Times Magazine published by The Manila Times. Click HERE to view the article on The Manila Times website.